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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — for sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. court — of law
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. field — a subject
  10. court — of a king
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. court — for sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. charge — in control
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. charge — a price
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fine — high quality
  24. field — farmland

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