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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. court — of law
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — a gift
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mate — to breed
  11. present — the time now
  12. court — for sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ball — a great time
  15. present — there
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bound — certain
  18. wound — an injury
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. hand — part of the body

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