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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. row — a line
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. row — to paddle
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. court — for sport
  19. chest — a box
  20. staff — employees
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chest — of your body
  24. row — a quarrel

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