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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pop — soda
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — of a king
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wax — to grow
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. court — of law
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — music
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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