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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. shower — rain
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. clip — for paper
  13. game — a match
  14. club — a group
  15. snap — to click
  16. clip — to cut
  17. club — for dancing
  18. clip — a video
  19. court — of a king
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. club — for golf
  24. safe — out of danger

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