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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.

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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: ball · mug · roll · foot · bowl · lie · branch · arm

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mug — a cup
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lie — to recline
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mug — to rob
  15. branch — a division
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mug — a face
  19. roll — a list
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. branch — of a tree

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