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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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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: sharp · bat · lean · swing · game · firm · mug · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — help
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. swing — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mug — a cup
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — in cards
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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