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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. court — for sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. current — electric
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. court — of a king
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wake — a trail
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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