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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ball — a great time
  5. last — finally
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — rain
  8. last — to go on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. capital — a city
  11. shower — to wash
  12. capital — money
  13. rule — a law
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. last — final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rule — government
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. capital — a big letter

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