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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 124 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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — of the year
  14. court — of a king
  15. rash — a series
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — of law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. court — for sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rash — on the skin

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