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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of a king
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — for sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. court — of law
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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