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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cell — in biology
  8. face — to confront
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mate — a friend
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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