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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · key · mate · bat · fall · hide

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. key — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mate — a partner
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — the season
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. object — to protest
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fall — to drop

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