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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · mouse · jam · last · snap · key · hand · court

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. court — of a king
  3. last — to go on
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. court — for sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. last — finally
  8. court — of law
  9. key — for a lock
  10. last — final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. snap — to click
  15. hand — in cards
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. face — to confront
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. face — to point toward

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