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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — part of the head
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. court — for sport
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hand — help
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — clever
  19. face — to confront
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. straw — a straw man

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