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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. last — finally
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. present — there
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spring — of water
  12. last — final
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. court — of a king
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. court — for sport
  24. last — to go on

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