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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. season — of the year
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — child
  8. current — of water
  9. court — of law
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. season — in sport
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. object — to protest
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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