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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ground — a position
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mug — a face
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ground — crushed
  20. swing — to play on
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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