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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — ground
  6. court — of law
  7. hand — in cards
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. perch — the fish
  19. land — to come down
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. court — for sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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