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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bat — the animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — to recline
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — shares
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bat — for baseball

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