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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.

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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pop — soda
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. swing — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stem — to come from
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. lie — an untruth

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