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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 116 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: rock · kick · mine · rest · craft · lie · object · bowl

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kick — in football
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rock — music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — boats
  16. object — an aim
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rest — a break
  19. object — to protest
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rock — a stone

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