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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. present — a gift
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — there
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — to crush
  24. land — a country

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