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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. dip — to sink
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wake — a trail
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mug — a face
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pound — to hit hard

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