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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — for pool
  4. court — of law
  5. face — to confront
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. court — of a king
  8. cue — a hint
  9. date — the fruit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. court — for sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kick — in football
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rash — hasty
  24. date — on the calendar

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