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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.

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: fan · chair · court · clip · trunk · ball · rest · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. clip — a video
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rest — a break
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — of a king
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a leader
  18. clip — for paper
  19. court — of law
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. trunk — of a car

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