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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. band — a music group
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — a gift
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — decided
  9. face — to confront
  10. firm — steady
  11. present — there
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. face — part of the head
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. leaves — of a tree

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