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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — a thing
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hand — help
  7. root — of a word
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. object — an aim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — there
  17. mug — a face
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — the cause
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — a gift
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — the time now

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