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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — for sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chest — a box
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — a signal
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — for pool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — of your body

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