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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — clever
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. swing — music

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