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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lean — to bend
  8. capital — a city
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lean — thin
  11. capital — money
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. temple — side of the head

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