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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. court — of law
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spell — a short time
  6. suit — to fit
  7. court — for sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. suit — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — to recline
  14. march — music
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  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