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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. hand — help
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. drill — a practice
  12. kick — in football
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. drill — army training
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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