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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. court — of a king
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — to sink
  14. court — for sport
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of law
  20. march — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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