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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. root — of a word
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — to breed
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — child
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — to tease

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