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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. last — to go on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mug — a face
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the vegetable

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