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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · snap · court · rush · bowl · capital · fall · face

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. capital — money
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — for sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. capital — a city
  8. fall — the season
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. court — of a king
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bowl — to roll

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