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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. object — to protest
  4. charge — a price
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. dip — to sink
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. row — a line
  18. ball — a great time
  19. craft — boats
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — a thing

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