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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. court — for sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — in sport
  10. court — of law
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bank — of a river
  16. season — of the year
  17. bank — for money
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kick — in football
  20. wax — to grow
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a dance

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