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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. object — an aim
  3. court — for sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. court — of a king
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — hasty
  13. court — of law
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. object — a thing
  20. bore — to tire
  21. object — to protest
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bore — gave birth

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