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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. face — part of the head
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — in sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — of a king
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cell — in biology
  13. face — to confront
  14. pop — to visit
  15. court — for sport
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. face — to point toward
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. season — of the year
  23. pop — music
  24. charge — electricity

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