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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — a cup
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. staff — a stick
  8. object — a thing
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — the amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — to protest
  19. toast — bread
  20. object — an aim
  21. season — of the year
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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