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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — to confront
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. court — of law
  12. stand — to bear
  13. court — for sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — to recline
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. face — part of the head
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. court — of a king

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