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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: tear · bass · bowl · file · land · ball · hide · kick

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. land — to come down
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. file — a document
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. land — ground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bass — low music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — a country
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — to rip
  21. file — a tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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