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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mug — a face
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bore — to tire
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — to rob
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — thin
  24. mate — a partner

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