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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mug — a face
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cue — for pool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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