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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. craft — a skill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. snap — to click
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — boats
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — a break
  24. plane — in geometry

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