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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kick — in football
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — to recline
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — a tool
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — for tennis

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