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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bat — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fine — all right
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bowl — a football final

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