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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. court — of a king
  5. key — for a lock
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. tube — in a tire

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