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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a document
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. file — a tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — to come from
  22. court — for sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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