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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. game — a match
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. present — there
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. band — a ring
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. band — a music group
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ball — a great time
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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