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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — in football
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — thin
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. court — for sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kick — with a leg

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