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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mug — a face
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mug — a cup

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