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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bat — the animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — a break
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — to handle
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — all right
  24. date — on the calendar

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