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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · spell · bowl · kid · kick · bear

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kick — in football
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spell — magic
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kid — child
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — letters

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