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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
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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rash — a series
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spring — the season
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rash — on the skin

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