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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.

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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: lash · face · bore · court · cell · rock · sharp · pitcher

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. court — for sport
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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