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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pop — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — rain
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — the time now
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — there
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — an eyelash

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