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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. court — of a king
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. present — the time now
  9. court — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. snap — to click
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lie — to recline
  20. present — there
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — a gift
  23. date — the fruit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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