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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. spring — a coil
  6. face — to confront
  7. charge — electricity
  8. capital — money
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to click
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. court — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to point toward
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — of law
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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