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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: mark · mate · spell · rash · kid · lash · court · lie

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spell — letters
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kid — child
  14. spell — a short time
  15. court — of law
  16. mate — a friend
  17. court — of a king
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — magic
  20. rash — hasty
  21. court — for sport
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rash — a series
  24. mark — a trace

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