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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ball — a dance
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bore — to tire
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mate — a friend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. race — a contest
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mate — to breed
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — a partner

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