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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — a break
  6. bat — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. court — of a king
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — a price
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — of a river
  19. court — for sport
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bat — in an idiom

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