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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. court — of a king
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — for sport
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. rash — hasty
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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