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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — ground
  3. stand — to bear
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pop — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. land — a country
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — soda
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. land — to come down
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bowl — a dish

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