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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rash — a series
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rash — hasty
  22. court — of a king
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — of law

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