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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — music
  6. court — for sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bass — the fish
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — of law
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lean — thin
  21. season — of the year
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. court — of a king

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