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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. vault — a safe
  12. band — a ring
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. foot — the bottom

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