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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — a price
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fall — to drop
  12. last — final
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fall — the season
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. last — to go on
  20. bass — low music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — for digging
  24. arm — part of the body

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