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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — of a king
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chest — of your body
  11. court — for sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fall — the season
  15. chest — of your body
  16. net — for catching
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — after costs
  19. court — of law
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — a box
  23. band — a ring
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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