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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. court — of a king
  4. kick — in football
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. court — of law
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lean — to rest against

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