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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. court — of a king
  3. tube — a container
  4. fine — all right
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. court — of law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. perch — the fish
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. court — for sport

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