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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hand — help
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — a price
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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