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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — soda
  17. lean — to bend
  18. face — to confront
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pop — to visit
  24. foot — the bottom

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