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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — a box
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chest — of your body
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bat — the animal

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