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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bat — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rush — a thrill

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