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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. spell — magic
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kick — in football
  6. spell — letters
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cap — of ice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a lid
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tear — to rip

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