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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. land — ground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a line of people
  7. land — to come down
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitch — completely
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a document
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pass — to succeed

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