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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fall — the season
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bay — a horse colour

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