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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cell — a phone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a path
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — a song
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — soda
  24. track — to keep track

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