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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. firm — steady
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — a company
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. firm — decided
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — bread
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. last — final

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