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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kid — to tease
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the sport
  10. kid — child
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — thin
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. object — to protest
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — to fit
  24. court — of law

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