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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · face · craft · bulb · bear · wake · racket · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. court — of a king
  3. face — part of the head
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of law
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a skill
  19. face — to confront
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wake — a trail

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