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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rock — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mug — a face
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — army training
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a cup
  20. drill — the tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bat — the animal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rock — to move gently

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