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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spell — letters
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — low music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — magic
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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