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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — to rob
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mine — for digging
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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