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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. court — of law
  3. shower — rain
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of a king
  6. last — finally
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mark — a grade
  14. face — part of the head
  15. shower — to wash
  16. staff — employees
  17. last — to go on
  18. staff — a stick
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. last — final
  23. court — for sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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