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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. court — of law
  3. face — to point toward
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. face — to confront
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — a price
  15. bore — to drill
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. charge — in control
  22. court — of a king
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — for sport

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