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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a document
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — completely
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spring — of water

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