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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spring — of water
  3. cell — in biology
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cap — a hat
  7. court — for sport
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. court — of law
  18. row — a line
  19. court — of a king
  20. chair — a leader
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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