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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 120 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stand — to bear
  6. club — a group
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chest — a box
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rock — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. club — for golf
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cell — in a prison

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