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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. court — of a king
  4. sharp — clever
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. court — for sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. court — of law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — high quality
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — all right
  24. temple — side of the head

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