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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. court — of a king
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — a price
  12. shower — rain
  13. charge — in control
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to confront
  17. rest — a break
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — to fit

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