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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rash — hasty
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — help
  22. rash — a series
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bowl — a dish

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