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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rule — government
  10. bat — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rule — a law
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. march — the month

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