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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.

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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — of the year
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. key — in music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. bat — for baseball

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