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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rule — government
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. fine — all right
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — a face
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rest — a break
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pound — for dogs

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