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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — to go on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — clothes
  9. last — final
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. court — for sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — a stone

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