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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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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: court · craft · leaves · cue · lie · current · spring · lean

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. craft — boats
  5. court — of law
  6. spring — a coil
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — electric
  12. cue — for pool
  13. court — of a king
  14. lean — thin
  15. spring — of water
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. court — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lie — an untruth

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