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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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468
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ball — a dance
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. branch — a division
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bowl — a dish
  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