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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — a position
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — the time now
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ground — crushed
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chest — a box
  12. present — there
  13. mug — a cup
  14. face — to confront
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. court — of a king
  18. mug — a face
  19. staff — employees
  20. chest — of your body
  21. face — to point toward
  22. court — for sport
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mug — to rob

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