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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. drill — army training
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — help
  15. pass — a permit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. drill — a practice
  20. court — for sport
  21. fall — the season
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — of a king

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