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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. court — of a king
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. season — in sport
  19. court — of law
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. season — to add flavour

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