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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fall — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spring — of water
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. present — there
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. present — the time now
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mine — for digging
  16. court — for sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — of a king
  19. present — a gift
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. toast — bread
  22. spring — the season
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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