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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. face — to point toward
  3. court — of law
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to confront
  6. craft — boats
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. squash — to crush
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — of a king
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mate — to breed
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. charge — electricity
  21. craft — a skill
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — for sport
  24. staff — a stick

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