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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. face — part of the head
  6. court — of law
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — army training
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — to confront
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — a law
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — of a king

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