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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tube — a container
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. clip — a video
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — hurry
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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