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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 124 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. court — for sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. court — of a king
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bore — to tire
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a ring

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