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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. court — of law
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — magic
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kick — in football
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — of a king
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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