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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. last — to go on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — for sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cold — not warm
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rest — a break
  18. court — of law
  19. last — final
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. last — finally

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