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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spell — a short time
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — hurry
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — a box
  13. face — to confront
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — to hurry

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