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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mine — an explosive

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