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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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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: wave · pit · kick · bowl · chip · ball · fall · hide

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kick — in football
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pit — a hole

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