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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 124 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. court — of a king
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. spring — of water
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. toast — bread
  14. spring — the season
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fall — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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