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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. track — a path
  3. court — of a king
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — of law
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — a song
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — for sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — clever
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — exactly

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