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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — soda
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pop — to visit
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — certain
  15. land — to come down
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — ground
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — to rob

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