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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. court — of a king
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — decided
  5. tube — a container
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — the season
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. court — for sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — thin
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — in sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spring — of water
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — a partner

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