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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — to bend
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. field — farmland
  12. foot — a measure
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — a subject
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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