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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. club — for golf
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chest — a box
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hand — help
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mug — a face
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — a group
  19. mug — to rob
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bank — for money
  23. chest — of your body
  24. plane — an aircraft

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