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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. object — a thing
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mug — to rob
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — to protest
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pop — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. face — to confront
  24. mouse — the animal

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