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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — a container
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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