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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. net — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — help
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. court — of a king
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. court — of law
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hand — in cards
  21. court — for sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — in a race

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