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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to point toward
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — to breed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. court — for sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — a stick

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