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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 124 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — government
  3. lean — thin
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a list
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — for sport
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. court — of law
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of a king
  24. fan — a supporter

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