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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
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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: object · bat · pass · dip · saw · cap · fan · cell

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cell — a phone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cell — in biology
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. object — an aim
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. object — to protest
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cap — a lid
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — the tool

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