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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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — all right
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mug — a face
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — the tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. drill — army training
  24. fine — high quality

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