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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.

Make a worksheet

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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — boats
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — a skill

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