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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. court — of a king
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. court — of law
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rest — a break
  24. chest — a box

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