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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bat — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. sharp — clever
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. firm — a company
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — in football
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — with a leg

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