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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. face — to point toward
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spell — a short time
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. row — to paddle
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. face — to confront
  23. ball — a dance
  24. row — a line

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