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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. charge — in control
  4. face — to point toward
  5. game — a match
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — to trim
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. charge — a price
  15. court — of a king
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kick — in football
  19. court — for sport
  20. ball — a great time
  21. court — of law
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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