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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: lash · kick · court · jam · spell · craft · shower · sharp

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. craft — boats
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — of law
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. shower — rain
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. court — for sport
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. court — of a king
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — to wash
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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