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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. court — of a king
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — letters
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. court — of law

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