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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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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: key · shower · kick · deal · clip · roll · row · bowl

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. clip — a video
  3. row — a line
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. row — to paddle
  6. kick — in football
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. roll — a cake
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bowl — a dish

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