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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. club — for golf
  5. chair — a leader
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. court — of law
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. court — of a king
  14. club — for dancing
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. club — a group
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — moving air

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