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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. chest — of your body
  9. court — of law
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. season — of the year
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — of a king
  19. wind — moving air
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — in sport
  22. court — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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