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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. season — of the year
  8. court — of law
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. court — for sport
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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