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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. band — a music group
  11. branch — a division
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — for sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — in a race
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — in football
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. kick — with a leg

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