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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — for sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — to bend
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — of a king
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tear — to rip
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. foot — a measure

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