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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a face
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a cup
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — final
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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