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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — of a king
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — of law
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. court — for sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fine — all right
  22. file — a document
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chair — a leader

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