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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of law
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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