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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · season · suit · pass · court · fan · lie · tube

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — in sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. court — of a king
  6. lie — to recline
  7. season — of the year
  8. tube — a container
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — for sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pass — a permit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fan — a supporter

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