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

Word bank: court · wind · straw · roll · club · lie · cap · firm

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lie — to recline
  4. club — a group
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cap — a hat
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. firm — a company
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wind — moving air
  17. roll — a list
  18. court — of law
  19. firm — decided
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cap — of ice

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