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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. 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. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lie — to recline
  6. charge — a price
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. charge — electricity
  13. clip — for paper
  14. court — of a king
  15. toast — bread
  16. charge — in control
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — for sport
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hand — help
  24. 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