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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spring — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fine — all right
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — a trace
  14. club — a group
  15. court — of law
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — to pay attention

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