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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — to get on
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — for sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. board — a committee
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wake — a trail
  21. saw — the tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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