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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — of a king
  8. track — a path
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. craft — boats
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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