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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. hand — help
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rock — to move gently

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