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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of law
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — decided
  11. court — of a king
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — for sport
  17. season — in sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. season — of the year
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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