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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. object — a thing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. object — to protest
  18. bat — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — in an idiom

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