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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. track — a path
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a song
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — of law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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