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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chest — a box
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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