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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — of law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. court — of a king
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. court — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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