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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bass — low music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. saw — the tool

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