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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — for sport
  3. file — a line of people
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — in football
  11. file — a document
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. file — a tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. court — of a king
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — a part of something

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