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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ball — a dance

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