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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. key — the most important part
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mug — a face
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bat — for baseball

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