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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lean — thin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — to confront
  18. kick — in football
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a great time
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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