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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rash — a series
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — in football
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mug — a face
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bowl — a football final

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