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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. current — happening now
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a document
  12. current — electric
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a line of people

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