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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — in control
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fall — the season
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — ground
  8. press — to push
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — a price
  13. press — newspapers
  14. court — for sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — a country
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. court — of law
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — a publisher

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