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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. present — the time now
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. face — to confront
  5. court — of a king
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. face — part of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — hasty
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — a series
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — a country
  21. court — of law
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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