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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. court — of law
  3. clip — to cut
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — of water
  17. court — for sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spring — the season
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rash — on the skin
  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