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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bat — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. court — for sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — to go on
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. snap — to click
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — to handle
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — finally
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. last — final
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bat — in an idiom

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