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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rule — a law
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mug — a face
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pop — to visit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — government
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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