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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fine — high quality
  5. game — a match
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. game — wild animals
  10. charge — a price
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bat — the animal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — on a finger

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