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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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