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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chest — a box
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lean — thin

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