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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bat — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hand — help
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. file — a document
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cap — a hat

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