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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. face — to confront
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. court — of law
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. court — for sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fine — high quality
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  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