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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — after costs
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. march — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ball — a great time
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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