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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. court — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of a king
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — a hint
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. court — of law
  14. cue — for pool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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