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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. can — to be able to
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wind — moving air
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — certain
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — a safe

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