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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of a king
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of law
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. root — the cause
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a grade

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