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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. court — of law
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — for sport
  6. land — to come down
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. land — ground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. land — a country
  24. sharp — with an edge

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