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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a grade
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — in biology

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