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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: wave · court · jam · lie · key · kid · lean · fan

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. court — of a king
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — child
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. court — of law
  19. lean — thin
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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