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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · pop · ball · rest · lean · face · object · court

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — soda
  11. court — of law
  12. rest — a break
  13. court — for sport
  14. lean — thin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. face — part of the head
  17. object — an aim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to confront
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. court — of a king

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