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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. court — for sport
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. court — of a king
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — to turn a key

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