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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bass — low music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. shower — to wash
  6. craft — boats
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — rain
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the instrument

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