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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — of a king
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — in control
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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