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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — of a king
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — to drill
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. charge — in control
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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