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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — to wash
  13. court — for sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. shower — rain
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. court — of law
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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