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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. court — of law
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. court — of a king
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — help
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — for sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to bend

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