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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bore — to tire
  11. net — after costs
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — in football
  22. bore — to drill
  23. net — for catching
  24. kick — with a leg

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