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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 116 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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rush — hurry
  4. present — there
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rule — government
  10. firm — decided
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. rule — a law
  14. mug — a face
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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