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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.

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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — ground
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. land — to come down
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. land — a country
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — happy

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