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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. court — for sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. court — of a king
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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