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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — to rob
  16. key — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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