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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — of a king
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — to point toward
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. staff — a stick
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — for sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. court — of law
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. deal — to handle
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — a division

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