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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tube — the underground
  5. row — to paddle
  6. sharp — clever
  7. face — to confront
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a dance
  11. face — to point toward
  12. drill — army training
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — a container

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