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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.

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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — for sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. charge — in control
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — electricity
  18. deal — a big deal

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