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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 124 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. season — in sport
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. snap — to click
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. roll — a cake
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of a king
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. court — for sport
  20. roll — a list
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mine — for digging

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