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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — from crying
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chip — to eat
  8. court — of law
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — a path
  12. fall — the season
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. net — for catching
  24. tear — to rip

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