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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wind — moving air
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — of law
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — in football
  24. court — for sport

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