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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.

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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. foot — a measure
  18. snap — to click
  19. march — music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — to keep secret

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