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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — army training
  7. mug — a cup
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mug — a face
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. object — to protest
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cell — in biology
  15. branch — a division
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. object — an aim
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — a thing
  23. mug — to rob
  24. branch — of a tree

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