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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — a container
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. can — to be able to
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. board — a committee
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mouse — the animal

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