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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.

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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 · ball · straw · nail · present · foot · cell · snap

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — the time now
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cell — a phone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — there
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. present — a gift
  24. nail — for a hammer

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