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

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. drill — a practice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lie — to recline
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — the tool
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. drill — army training

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