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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — low music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — of law
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — the fish
  11. court — of a king
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — the season
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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