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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — for catching
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. band — a ring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — in sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. net — after costs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a music group

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