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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — there
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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