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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: ball · mouse · lie · march · cell · bowl · mate · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. march — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a friend
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — a supporter

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