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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — of a king
  4. craft — boats
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. court — for sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of law
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spring — of water
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spring — a coil
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spring — the season
  24. stand — for spectators

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