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

Word bank: court · wind · lie · stick · wake · prune · rest · foot

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — a break
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. court — of law
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. court — for sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — a trail
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — to trim
  21. court — of a king
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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