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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. rash — a series
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ground — crushed
  14. land — to come down
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. land — a country
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ground — a position
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. board — a flat piece

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