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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. drill — army training
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rush — hurry
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cell — in biology
  23. court — of a king
  24. toast — bread

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