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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — a company
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a document
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mug — a cup
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — to rob
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. file — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. file — a line of people
  24. firm — decided

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