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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. content — the amount
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — to bear
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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