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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mate — a partner
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kid — child
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. toast — bread
  24. mate — to breed

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