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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — to be able to
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. court — of a king
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — decided
  17. court — for sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. firm — a company
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fan — to cool the 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