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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — in control
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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