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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lean — to bend
  4. court — of a king
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — the time now
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — a gift
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. court — of law
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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