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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mug — a face
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bass — the fish
  8. can — a tin
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. spell — magic
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mug — a cup
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spell — letters
  16. bass — low music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mark — a trace

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