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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. season — of the year
  3. court — of a king
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — of water
  8. race — a contest
  9. mate — a partner
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mate — a friend
  12. swing — music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — to play on
  15. court — of law
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — a coil
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — music
  23. court — for sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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