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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — for sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lean — to bend
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chest — a box
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. lean — thin

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