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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — of a king
  5. rule — government
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rule — a law
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — for sport
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cold — not warm

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