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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: ball · leaves · row · fan · lie · mug · bat · deal

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mug — to rob
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — a line
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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