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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. court — of a king
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kid — to tease
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kid — child
  16. file — a tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. file — a document
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ball — a great time

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