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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — a box
  9. cue — a signal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. season — in sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — a line
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bowl — to roll

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