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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. key — the most important part
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a ring
  15. key — for a lock
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. key — in music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mug — a face

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