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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. court — of a king
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — child
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — of ice
  16. court — of law
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. kid — to tease
  20. court — for sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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