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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. court — of a king
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — in control
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. court — for sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lie — an untruth

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