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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. charge — electricity
  9. swing — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — a series
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — in control
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. vault — a safe
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. swing — in golf
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. can — a tin

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