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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. race — humankind
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — a phone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spell — magic
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — a contest
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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