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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. kick — in football
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — for sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. court — of a king
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — in cards
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. court — of law
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. toast — bread
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mouse — for a computer

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