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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: ground · lash · stick · ball · bore · shower · net · kick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a great time
  6. net — after costs
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — in sport
  10. ground — crushed
  11. shower — to wash
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — for catching
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — rain
  18. kick — in football
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ground — a position

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