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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: lie · bowl · roll · face · row · ball · race · bat

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a dance
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — part of the head
  10. roll — a cake
  11. face — to confront
  12. race — humankind
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. row — a line
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a quarrel

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