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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — the amount
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mug — a cup
  11. content — happy
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. race — humankind
  15. face — to confront
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. race — the arms race
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pass — to spend time

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