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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. dip — to sink
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lean — to bend
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — thin
  20. hand — help
  21. spring — a coil
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. arm — part of the body

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