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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bat — the animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — shares
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kid — child
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. kid — to tease

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