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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rule — government
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. court — of a king
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rule — a law
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. court — for sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wax — to grow
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mug — a face

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