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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — in sport
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. net — after costs
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pass — a permit
  12. craft — boats
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lie — to recline
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — for catching
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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