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

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. face — to point toward
  4. court — of law
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. suit — clothes
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. court — of a king
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — part of the head
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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