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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spell — letters
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. content — happy
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. content — the amount
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spell — a short time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — magic
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — in a tire

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