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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kid — to tease
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. court — of law
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. court — for sport
  24. calf — of the leg

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