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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. craft — boats
  9. rest — a break
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — of law
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mark — a trace

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