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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ground — a position
  16. hand — help
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. lie — to recline

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