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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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 — in an idiom
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — to drill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — the sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spell — letters
  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