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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — the season
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — child
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rest — a break
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ball — a dance

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