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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. present — there
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fall — the season
  21. mug — a face
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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