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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bound — certain
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to click
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — obliged
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stock — goods
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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