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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kick — in football
  3. pop — soda
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a dance
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bat — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — a garden tool

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