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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. last — final
  10. court — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of law
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. last — finally
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — to go on
  24. wake — a trail

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