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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bat — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — to get on
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. file — a document

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