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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — of a king
  4. suit — clothes
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. face — to confront
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. court — for sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. shower — rain
  16. chair — a leader
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. court — of law
  22. shower — to wash
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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