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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. face — to confront
  12. court — of a king
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — for catching
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to point toward

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