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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to drill
  9. object — a thing
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — an aim
  20. bore — to tire
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitcher — a jug

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