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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — in cards
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — a break
  24. saw — the tool

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