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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — of the year
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — to add flavour

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