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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fine — high quality
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bass — low music
  17. stock — goods
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — all right
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — the instrument

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