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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · game · spell · arm · court · leaves · dip · lash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — to sink
  6. degree — from a university
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. court — for sport
  9. degree — an amount
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — a short time
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spell — letters
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. court — of law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. leaves — to go away

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