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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — a series
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — help
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fine — high quality
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fine — all right
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hand — in cards
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mate — a partner
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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