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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — rain
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. court — of a king
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of law
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. court — for sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rash — a series
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stand — to bear

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