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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. court — for sport
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. court — of a king
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of law
  11. kid — child
  12. charge — electricity
  13. kid — to tease
  14. charge — in control
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. toast — bread
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lean — thin
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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