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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spring — the season
  3. bat — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. chest — a box
  10. spring — of water
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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