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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: race · lash · saw · mouse · mine · fine · court · craft

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. court — of law
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. court — of a king
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. race — a contest
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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