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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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468
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: last · mug · stick · mouse · kick · face · bat · march

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mug — a face
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — to confront
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. march — the month
  12. bat — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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