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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. row — a line
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tube — a container
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. kick — in football
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bat — for baseball

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