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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — for sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kick — in football
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. court — of law
  13. rock — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. present — there
  19. bass — low music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — the time now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rock — to move gently

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