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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ground — a position
  3. court — of a king
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. object — a thing
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — of law
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. object — an aim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — to protest

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