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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. court — of law
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. court — of a king
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rush — hurry
  14. toast — bread
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — to shout
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to rest against

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