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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 120 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: mate · bowl · dip · lash · mouse · game · calf · march

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mate — a partner
  9. march — the month
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. game — a match
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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