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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — of a king
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — for sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of law

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