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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: deal · lie · hide · fall · prune · mug · snap · court

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a face
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. court — for sport
  24. mug — a cup

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