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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. court — of a king
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. march — the month
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — a company
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spell — magic
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mate — a partner
  18. firm — steady
  19. march — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. march — the month
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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