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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. date — the fruit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — not warm
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cold — an illness
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. date — on the calendar

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