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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — for sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — in cards

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