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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chest — a box
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — all right
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chair — a professorship

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