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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. band — a music group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. face — to point toward

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