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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a cup
  3. court — of law
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mug — a face
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. court — of a king
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — to rob

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