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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mug — to rob
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. club — a group
  13. kick — in football
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. club — for golf
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to click
  19. mug — a cup
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hide — animal skin

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