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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chest — a box
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. race — humankind
  13. bore — to drill
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. bat — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — gave birth

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