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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. spring — of water
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spring — a coil
  10. court — for sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. object — an aim
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. object — a thing
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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