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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rock — music
  4. spring — the season
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — of a king
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. spring — a coil
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — for sport
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — to come from

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