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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.

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: fine · chest · bowl · ball · fall · ground · charge · lash

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ground — a position
  11. fine — all right
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chest — a box
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. fall — to drop

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