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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — thin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a line
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. march — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. court — of law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. vault — a safe
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — the animal

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