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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: dip · rest · season · row · kick · content · ball · hand

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — help
  5. row — a line
  6. content — the amount
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rest — a break
  9. content — happy
  10. kick — in football
  11. season — in sport
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hand — in cards
  19. season — of the year
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rest — what's left

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