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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rock — a stone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rash — a series
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — a match

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