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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — of law
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — the time now
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. present — there
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. present — a gift
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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