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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — of a king
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — for sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. object — to protest
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. staff — employees
  12. object — a thing
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — steady
  15. court — of law
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fork — in a road
  19. field — for sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — farmland
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. object — an aim

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