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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. court — of law
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — for a lock
  11. court — for sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — thin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — in music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. court — of a king
  23. rest — what's left
  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