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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. band — a music group
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. band — a ring
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pound — a weight

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