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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. object — an aim
  9. season — of the year
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. season — in sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — for sport
  24. fine — all right

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