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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. 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. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. court — of a king
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — for sport
  16. mug — a face
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. 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