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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — of the year
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. court — of law
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bark — to shout
  19. court — of a king
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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