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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — to grow
  17. charge — in control
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — in cards
  21. kick — in football
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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