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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. scale — in music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. race — a contest
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. game — wild animals
  18. race — humankind
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — the arms race

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