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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lean — thin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cabinet — ministers

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