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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. court — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — to rip
  5. court — of a king
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. court — of law
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bound — certain
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bound — tied together
  15. snap — to click
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — what's left
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rest — a break
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — obliged

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