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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. chest — a box
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chest — of your body
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chest — of your body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — for sport
  18. date — the fruit
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bore — to drill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — a face
  23. wind — moving air
  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