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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. 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. dip — to sink
  2. face — to confront
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. club — for golf
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. court — of a king
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. staff — a stick
  11. court — of law
  12. club — a group
  13. season — in sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. court — for sport
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — employees
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — crushed
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to point toward
  24. 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