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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mug — to rob
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — the animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. shower — rain
  18. mug — a face
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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