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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — to come from
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. court — of a king
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fine — all right
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — the underground
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. face — to point toward
  16. court — for sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wind — moving air

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