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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of law
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. craft — a skill
  13. tear — to rip
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — part of the head
  17. craft — boats
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. key — for a lock
  20. row — a line
  21. key — in music
  22. court — for sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. key — the most important part

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