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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. kick — in football
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — to eat
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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