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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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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: cell · fork · tear · bat · scale · pass · tube · lash

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. scale — in music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fork — in a road
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. scale — for weighing

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