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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stock — shares
  8. court — of law
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — goods
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lie — to recline

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