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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chest — a box
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fall — the season
  19. mug — a face
  20. rock — music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mouse — the animal

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