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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bound — certain
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rash — hasty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rock — a stone

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