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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lean — thin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. court — for sport
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. club — a group
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. court — of a king
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — for golf
  21. bore — to drill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — of law

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