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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. court — for sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. roll — a cake
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. court — of a king
  9. rule — a law
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. roll — a list
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — a series
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rule — government
  24. deal — an agreement

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