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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.

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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. spell — magic
  4. mate — a friend
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mine — for digging
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — clothes
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — the most important part

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