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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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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: row · snap · mate · pit · cabinet · lash · court · temple

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mate — to breed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. court — for sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pit — in a race
  7. snap — to click
  8. mate — a partner
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — a friend
  17. row — a line
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pit — a hole

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