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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — for sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. spring — of water
  7. cell — in biology
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spring — the season
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. court — of law
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of a king
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rest — a break
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cell — a phone

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