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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · bore · ball · press · lash · season · rock · race

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ball — a dance
  3. season — of the year
  4. race — a contest
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rock — a stone
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. press — to push
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. race — the arms race
  23. press — newspapers
  24. race — humankind

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