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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bore — to drill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. object — a thing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. spell — letters
  15. wax — to grow
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — an aim
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — a supporter

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