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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. court — of a king
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — for sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lean — thin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wound — an injury
  23. row — a line
  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