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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. field — for sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — exactly

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