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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. dip — to sink
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cold — not warm
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. court — for sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cold — an illness
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. can — to be able to
  24. season — in 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