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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. court — of law
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lean — to bend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. march — the month
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — of a king
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — crushed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — a position
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. court — for sport

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