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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — of the year
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — to drill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — of a king
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cue — a signal
  24. patient — a sick person

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