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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: bowl · leaves · rock · chip · ball · wave · bat · lash

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ball — a great time
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rock — music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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