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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wound — an injury
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pound — to hit hard

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