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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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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 · deal · saw · mate · race · mug · mouse · cap

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — to go on
  4. race — a contest
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — a partner
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — finally
  17. mug — a face
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. cap — a lid
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mate — a friend

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