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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of law
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chest — of your body
  8. court — of a king
  9. chest — of your body
  10. court — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — in sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. net — for catching

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