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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — certain
  18. rash — a series
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — to confront
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fan — a supporter

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