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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a ring
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — part of the head
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. band — a music group
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. face — to confront
  24. staff — employees

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