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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.

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: mate · hide · pop · lie · game · ball · can · bowl

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ball — a dance
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pop — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pop — soda
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pop — to visit
  24. game — a match

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