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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fine — all right
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — high quality
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. charge — a price
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — the season
  16. board — to get on
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — a tin

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