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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — of water
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. key — for a lock
  12. tear — from crying
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. key — in music
  15. snap — to click
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. season — of the year
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — electric
  21. ball — a great time
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. current — happening now
  24. fan — a supporter

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