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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. court — of law
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. court — for sport
  9. bound — certain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. land — ground
  17. court — of a king
  18. bound — tied together
  19. land — a country
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fine — all right

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