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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spell — letters
  9. ball — a great time
  10. key — the most important part
  11. court — of law
  12. mate — to breed
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. key — in music
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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