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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kick — in football
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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