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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — thin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ground — a position
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — for sport
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. court — of law
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — to recline

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