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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. object — an aim
  3. court — of a king
  4. object — to protest
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. court — for sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. court — of law
  24. rash — a series

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