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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — to cut
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. roll — a list
  10. deal — to handle
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. clip — for paper
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. roll — a cake
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — the animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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