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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cue — a signal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — humankind
  14. spell — letters
  15. clip — a video
  16. spell — a short time
  17. race — the arms race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. race — a contest
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lash — to lash out

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