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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — a cup
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a face
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pass — to spend time

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