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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rock — music
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fan — a supporter

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