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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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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: bat · wake · chip · last · saw · can · bay · bass

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bat — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bat — in an idiom

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