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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mine — for digging
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. court — of law
  11. kick — in football
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lean — thin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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