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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a dance

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