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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 116 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cold — not warm
  10. kick — in football
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pit — in a race
  23. court — of law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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