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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 120 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 · mine · ball · saw · pitcher · key · lash · trunk

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mine — an explosive

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