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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — steady
  8. kick — in football
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — a company
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. firm — decided
  23. rash — a series
  24. kick — with a leg

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