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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. court — of law
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — of the year
  10. snap — to click
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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