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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lean — to bend
  10. court — for sport
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mark — a trace
  14. branch — a division
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. court — of law
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lean — thin
  24. key — in music

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