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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. wound — an injury
  4. court — of a king
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pop — to visit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. court — for sport
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — soda
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — to rest against

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