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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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