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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. court — of a king
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bore — to drill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — to confront
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. court — of law
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — a break

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