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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cap — a lid
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. craft — boats
  13. bass — low music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bank — of a river
  16. snap — to click
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bore — to drill
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — a cup

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