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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. court — of law
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — for sport
  9. track — a path
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — for golf
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. court — of a king
  17. cap — of ice
  18. track — a song
  19. firm — a company
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — steady
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kick — in football

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