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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mate — to breed
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — army training
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — a thing
  14. spring — of water
  15. drill — the tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — the season
  18. object — to protest
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. drill — a practice

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