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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — a trail
  6. board — a committee
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kick — in football
  17. face — part of the head
  18. board — to get on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bulb — for light

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