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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bat — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — a series
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — not warm
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rash — on the skin

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