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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rest — a break
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — to point toward
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. court — for sport
  12. cold — not warm
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cold — an illness
  16. face — to confront
  17. court — of a king
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. safe — out of danger

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