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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — the season
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — shares
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stock — goods
  18. tube — the underground
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stock — a soup base
  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