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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. toast — bread
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — an injury
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a music group
  20. pit — in a race
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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