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

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. court — of law
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. branch — a division
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. court — for sport
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. branch — of a bank

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