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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. court — of a king
  7. fall — the season
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — for sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. court — of law
  24. pit — a hole

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