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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. court — of a king
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pop — soda
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. court — for sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tear — from crying
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a great time

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