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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. drill — army training
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. court — of a king
  7. face — to point toward
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — part of the head
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — for sport
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hand — help
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — a trail

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