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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — of law
  8. track — a song
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spell — letters
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — for sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lie — an untruth

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