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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — a tin
  5. mug — a face
  6. staff — employees
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — to be able to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. track — a path
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a song
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mine — for digging

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