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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mate — a partner
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. board — a committee
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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