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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rash — hasty
  6. deal — to handle
  7. shower — rain
  8. tube — a container
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — to wash
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rash — a series
  24. tube — in a tire

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