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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lean — thin
  6. court — of a king
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — soda
  12. fine — high quality
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. spring — of water

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