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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — final
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spring — of water
  10. last — to go on
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spring — a coil
  19. last — finally
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. press — to push
  24. ball — a round shape

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