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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. court — of a king
  5. face — part of the head
  6. last — finally
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spring — the season
  9. court — of law
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spring — a coil
  13. face — to point toward
  14. last — to go on
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. last — final
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — of water
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rush — to hurry

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