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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of law
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. court — for sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. march — the month
  23. court — of a king
  24. march — the month

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