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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fall — to drop
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. game — a match
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. court — for sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. dip — to sink
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — child
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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