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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for golf
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to click
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. present — there
  15. ground — the earth
  16. present — the time now
  17. club — a group
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ground — a position
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. present — a gift
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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