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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. last — final
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — the amount
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — to go on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — with a leg

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