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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lie — to recline
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bass — the fish
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bass — low music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — for sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. date — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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