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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — part of the head
  9. court — of a king
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — to drop
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fall — the season
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — a stick
  24. safe — out of danger

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