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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 124 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ball — a dance
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. row — to paddle
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lash — an eyelash

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