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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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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — shares
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — goods
  16. court — of law
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. march — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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