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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. land — to come down
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. land — ground
  24. rule — to rule out

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