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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — to protest
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. object — a thing
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. court — of law
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — an aim
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tear — to rip
  23. court — for sport
  24. stand — for spectators

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