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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a face
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. object — to protest
  12. cold — not warm
  13. object — a thing
  14. staff — employees
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. ground — the earth
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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