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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — of a king
  5. lean — to bend
  6. suit — in cards
  7. court — for sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. court — of law
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lean — thin
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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