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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. court — of a king
  3. lie — to recline
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pop — music
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — in a road
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — soda
  24. ball — a dance

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