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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. net — in sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — of law
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — for catching
  13. rest — what's left
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. net — after costs
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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