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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — a series
  7. fall — the season
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — hasty
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. content — happy
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — to roll

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