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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. suit — to fit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — a permit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. plane — a tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. racket — for tennis

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