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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. court — of a king
  3. object — an aim
  4. face — to confront
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. snap — to click
  9. court — of law
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. face — to point toward
  13. court — for sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lean — to bend
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — part of the head
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lean — thin

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