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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. firm — decided
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — government

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