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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. drill — army training
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — to fit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wound — an injury
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — a tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. drill — the tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. key — in music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. key — the most important part
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wound — an injury

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