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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — a face
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. file — a tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a document
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. row — a line
  18. squash — the sport
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. hide — to keep secret

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