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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. court — of a king
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — an aim
  7. court — of law
  8. spell — a short time
  9. court — for sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. object — to protest
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — magic
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. object — a thing
  23. lean — thin
  24. foot — a measure

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