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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — a practice
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. firm — a company
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. firm — steady
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bat — the animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rash — a series
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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