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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. court — of law
  3. spring — the season
  4. suit — in cards
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. suit — clothes
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. court — for sport
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. last — to go on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — the tool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spring — a coil

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