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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. plane — a tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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