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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bass — the fish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — low music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — a grade
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. court — of a king

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