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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.

Words on the sheet
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: spell · mouse · lie · sharp · mug · straw · date · can

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — clever
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spell — letters
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — magic
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — a face
  24. sharp — with an edge

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