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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lean — to bend
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lean — thin
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. craft — boats
  12. tube — the underground
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — to crush
  16. craft — a skill
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. land — ground
  24. staff — a stick

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