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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — to get on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. board — a committee
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mine — for digging
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. game — wild animals
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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