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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: mug · snap · game · stand · bat · arm · bore · toast

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stand — to bear
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mug — a face
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. game — a match
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bore — to drill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. toast — bread
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stand — for spectators

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