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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · saw · ball · stick · game · hide · can · face

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — to be able to
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — a match
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — part of the head
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ball — a dance
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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