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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — finally
  7. court — of a king
  8. last — to go on
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. last — final
  15. tube — a container
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. rock — music
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rash — hasty
  24. face — part of the head

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