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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. court — of a king
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. court — for sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. court — of law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wound — an injury

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