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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tube — a container
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — a face
  9. kid — child
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cell — in biology
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — a break
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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