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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chest — a box
  3. court — for sport
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — of your body
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — thin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rush — hurry
  17. tube — a container
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — a hat
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — a law
  24. safe — out of danger

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