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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — of a king
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a friend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. court — for sport
  24. rush — to hurry

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