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

Word bank: face · mug · bay · cell · court · fine · capital · lash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. court — of law
  3. cell — in biology
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. capital — money
  10. court — of a king
  11. face — to confront
  12. mug — to rob
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — a cup
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fine — all right
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — in a prison

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