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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: bay · bowl · rash · fork · face · kick · fine · roll

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — all right
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rash — hasty
  8. roll — a list
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. face — to confront
  14. fork — in a road
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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