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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spell — a short time
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mug — a cup
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — magic
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. spell — letters
  20. mug — to rob
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — dry grass

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