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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fine — all right
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fine — high quality
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. court — for sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — of law
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cell — a phone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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