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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a face
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. last — to go on
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. last — finally
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — final
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. race — humankind
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com