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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hand — help
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. court — of a king
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — for sport
  13. swing — music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cue — for pool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — with your hand

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