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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · toast · bowl · net · spring · rock · bulb · face

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — to confront
  9. rock — music
  10. toast — bread
  11. spring — a coil
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — in football
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — for catching
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. toast — the most admired

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