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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. court — of a king
  3. wind — moving air
  4. court — for sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. court — of law
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stem — of a plant

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