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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a song
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kid — child
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. court — for sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to click
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — of law
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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