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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · lie · mate · shower · wound · calf · court · game

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. game — a match
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. game — wild animals
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pass — a permit

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