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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. court — of a king
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — a trail
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. court — of law
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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