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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ground — a position

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