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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. drill — a practice
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — army training
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. deal — a big deal

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