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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. club — for golf
  5. court — of a king
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. court — for sport
  21. content — the amount
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — a friend

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