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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. court — of a king
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — for sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. court — of law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. clip — to cut
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. clip — a video
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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