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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — for sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. field — farmland
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. last — finally
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. field — a subject
  24. degree — temperature

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