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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of a king
  3. press — to push
  4. row — a line
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fork — in a road
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. last — to go on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. row — to paddle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of law
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. press — a publisher
  24. safe — a strongbox

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