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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — to get on
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — for sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — of a king
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bark — to shout
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. board — a committee

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