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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hand — in cards
  7. race — humankind
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kick — in football
  12. row — a line
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. race — a contest
  23. mug — a face
  24. temple — a place of worship

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