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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — of law
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. court — for sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. court — of a king
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — for money

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