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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: bat · hide · object · temple · mug · season · arm · saw

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. object — a thing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mug — a face
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. season — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bat — the animal

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