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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rule — a law
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rule — government
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. scale — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — a stone

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