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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — a match
  20. court — of a king
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lean — thin
  23. court — for sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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