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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. face — to confront
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. court — of law
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bark — to shout
  11. face — to point toward
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — part of the head
  24. deal — to handle

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