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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bank — for money
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kid — child
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bore — to drill

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