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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. season — in sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. court — for sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. season — of the year
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — of law
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lash — an eyelash

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