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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. court — of a king
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. perch — the fish
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stock — shares
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — for sport
  24. can — a tin

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