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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · lie · wound · toast · hand · pit · bowl · date

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. hand — help
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. toast — bread
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — to roll

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