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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — for sport
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bear — the animal
  5. roll — a cake
  6. court — of law
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of a king
  16. roll — a list
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rule — a law
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rule — government
  24. temple — side of the head

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