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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. court — of a king
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — for sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. craft — boats
  9. degree — an amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. date — the fruit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lie — to recline
  19. court — of law
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. degree — from a university

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