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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 124 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — after costs
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. net — in sport
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. mug — to rob
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — for catching
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bowl — a dish

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