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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.

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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ground — a position
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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