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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rule — a law
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — of water
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — happening now
  12. rule — government
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. plane — a tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — for digging
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bat — for baseball

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