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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — a partner
  5. object — a thing
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kick — in football
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — to protest
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — an aim
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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