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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — final
  12. rush — hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. court — of law
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — to go on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — finally
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cap — of ice

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