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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · season · lash · court · rule · cue · arm · spring

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. season — of the year
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. court — of a king
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — after costs
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rule — government
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. court — for sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — of law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. spring — of water
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lash — an eyelash

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