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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. root — of a word
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — for sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spell — letters
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of law
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. root — the cause
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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