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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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. bat — for baseball
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fall — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cap — a lid
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cap — of ice
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. spring — the season
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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