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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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 law
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. court — for sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. staff — a stick
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. object — an aim
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. object — a thing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rest — a break
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — to protest
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

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