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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.

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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: bore · rock · plane · lash · squash · spell · court · march

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — letters
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. march — music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — to crush
  16. spell — magic
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — a stone
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — of law

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