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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of a king
  3. spell — a short time
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — letters
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. court — for sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — magic
  23. court — of law
  24. craft — boats

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