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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mine — for digging
  4. current — of water
  5. file — a line of people
  6. court — of a king
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a friend
  21. court — for sport
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. current — electric

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