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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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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: game · straw · mate · shower · bowl · suit · lean · season

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — in sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — to fit
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. shower — rain
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lean — to bend
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. suit — in cards
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. season — of the year
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mate — a friend
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — wild animals
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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