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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. last — finally
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — the season
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. last — final
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a ring
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mine — for digging
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. last — to go on
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mug — a face
  24. perch — for a bird

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