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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mate — a friend
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. ground — the earth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. content — happy

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