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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. shower — rain
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bear — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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