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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. mug — a face
  6. chair — a leader
  7. face — to confront
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — bread
  19. court — for sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. nail — on a finger

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