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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 · last · mate · spring · hand · row · ball · bear

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bear — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a dance
  12. spring — a coil
  13. last — to go on
  14. spring — of water
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. mate — a friend
  21. row — to paddle
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a round shape

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