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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. net — after costs
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chair — a leader
  12. court — of law
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pound — a weight
  16. court — for sport
  17. pass — a permit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pass — to spend time
  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