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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 120 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: key · stem · last · lie · bowl · court · wave · chest

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. last — finally
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chest — a box
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of law
  13. last — final
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. court — for sport
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. last — to go on
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stem — of a plant

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