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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — of law
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stand — to bear
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rock — music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fork — in a road

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