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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: bowl · calf · pound · ball · firm · lash · mate · race

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — the arms race
  5. firm — decided
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. race — humankind
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pound — a weight
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — a company
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — to breed
  20. firm — steady
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ball — a great time

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