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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. court — of a king
  4. band — a music group
  5. court — of law
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a committee
  8. court — for sport
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. board — to get on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. suit — clothes

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