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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to bend

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