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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. root — of a word
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — of law
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. court — of a king
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — the cause
  22. ball — a great time
  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