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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. court — of law
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. shower — to wash
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. shower — rain
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chair — a leader

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