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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. craft — boats
  3. court — of a king
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — a country
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — ground
  12. foot — a measure
  13. race — the arms race
  14. charge — electricity
  15. land — to come down
  16. race — humankind
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. race — a contest
  23. charge — in control
  24. court — for sport

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