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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. face — to point toward
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pop — to visit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tube — a container
  22. face — to confront
  23. mug — a face
  24. face — part of the head

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