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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mug — a face
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rest — a break
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to click
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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