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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · lie · pit · present · foot · hand · lash · bound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hand — in cards
  4. foot — a measure
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — tied together
  11. court — of law
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — help
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — to recline
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — there
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bound — obliged

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