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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — for digging
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. drill — army training
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — for golf
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — a phone
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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