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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spring — of water
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. last — final
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. last — finally
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bowl — a dish

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