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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mate — to breed
  3. land — ground
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — a partner
  6. land — to come down
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — for sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mate — a friend
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pop — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. land — a country
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. cabinet — ministers

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