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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — a price
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. court — for sport
  5. capital — money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — not warm
  9. charge — in control
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — music
  18. capital — a city
  19. court — of a king
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. court — of law
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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