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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. court — of law
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — a price
  7. kid — child
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. court — of a king
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kick — in football
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — in control
  22. key — the most important part
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kick — with a leg

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