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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — letters
  4. court — of law
  5. spell — magic
  6. squash — to crush
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. swing — in golf
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. swing — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — to play on

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