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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wake — a trail
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bat — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rash — hasty

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