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

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — an injury
  6. season — of the year
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. suit — clothes

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