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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
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: bowl · pop · ball · scale · leaves · mate · lash · kid

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kid — to tease
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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