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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 124 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. club — for golf
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. pass — a permit
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — an explosive

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