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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — of law
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a cup
  7. key — for a lock
  8. court — of a king
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. file — a tool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. file — a line of people
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. tube — a container
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mug — a face
  24. court — for sport

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