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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. court — for sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lean — thin
  5. key — in music
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. court — of law
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — to bear
  20. key — the most important part
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — for spectators

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