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

Word bank: bat · roll · band · hand · suit · mug · face · firm

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — in cards
  7. firm — a company
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. band — a ring
  12. mug — a face
  13. firm — decided
  14. roll — a list
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. band — a music group
  18. firm — steady
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hand — help
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bat — the animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. band — a rubber band

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