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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — to tire
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lie — to recline
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rule — a law
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — government
  22. court — for sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bore — to drill

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