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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mug — a face
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. file — a document
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a tool

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