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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lean — to bend
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — thin
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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