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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. prune — to trim
  10. track — a path
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mug — to rob
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mug — a face

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