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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cell — a phone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. object — a thing
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. object — an aim
  13. swing — to play on
  14. shower — rain
  15. mug — a face
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bat — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cell — in biology
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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