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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stand — on your feet

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