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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. track — a song
  16. shower — rain
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. court — of a king

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