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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · rest · calf · fan · court · lean · leaves · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — thin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — of water
  10. rest — what's left
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fan — a supporter

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