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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. net — in sport
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. court — of law
  7. cell — a phone
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — of a king
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. kick — in football
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. face — part of the head
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — for sport
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. net — for catching

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