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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · current · chest · date · bat · mug · pass · mouse

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. current — electric
  10. pass — a permit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. current — of water
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. current — happening now
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chest — a box
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. date — on the calendar

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