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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — a cup
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stock — shares
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mug — a face
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spring — the season
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stock — goods

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