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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — a price
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. court — for sport
  14. bass — the fish
  15. clip — for paper
  16. charge — electricity
  17. clip — a video
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — low music
  22. mark — a trace
  23. charge — in control
  24. lie — an untruth

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