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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. face — to confront
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ball — a dance
  13. net — in sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — for catching
  24. lie — an untruth

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