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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bat — the animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. club — a group
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitch — completely

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