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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ball — a great time
  3. court — for sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rash — hasty
  10. court — of law
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rash — a series
  15. bank — of a river
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — boats
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — of a king

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