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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cue — for pool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — a signal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lean — thin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lean — to bend

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