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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. face — to confront
  3. pit — in a race
  4. shower — rain
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bore — to drill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. court — for sport
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. court — of a king
  15. pit — a hole
  16. track — a song
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. suit — clothes
  20. shower — to wash
  21. track — a path
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bore — to tire

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