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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. band — a ring
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — a face
  8. staff — employees
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — a cup
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. wake — a trail
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wake — before a funeral

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