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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — a hat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — the time now
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cap — of ice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — a face
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — to rob
  22. present — there
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. squash — the sport

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