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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — thin
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bound — obliged
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — of the year
  17. drill — army training
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lean — to bend
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mug — to rob

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