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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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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rock — a stone
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rule — government
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rule — a law
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lash — to lash out

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