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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. track — a song
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chest — of your body
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — boats
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — decided
  13. chest — a box
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. track — to keep track
  19. swing — in golf
  20. court — for sport
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — a company
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. swing — music

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