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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — of a king
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — for sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. firm — steady
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — to drill
  19. firm — decided
  20. court — of law
  21. content — the amount
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — a company

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