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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. court — of law
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — rain
  10. court — of a king
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. track — a song
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. track — a path
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. track — to keep track

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