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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — a practice
  4. club — for dancing
  5. drill — army training
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — to crush
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. club — a group
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. drill — the tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. mug — a face
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. squash — the sport

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