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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. face — to confront
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — the amount
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hand — help
  13. mug — a face
  14. charge — in control
  15. face — part of the head
  16. content — happy
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. court — of a king
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. court — of law

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