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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. tear — to rip
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ball — a great time

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