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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — to confront
  4. court — of law
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. face — to point toward
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — the amount
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. root — of a word
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. root — of a plant
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bat — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. mouse — the animal

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