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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — a line
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — a break
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — for sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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