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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — of law
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. court — for sport
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bass — the fish
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. patient — a sick person

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