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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hand — help
  4. cap — of ice
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a face
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lean — thin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mine — belonging to me

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