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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 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. march — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — newspapers
  7. court — for sport
  8. land — a country
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. band — a ring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — to come down
  17. press — a publisher
  18. band — a music group
  19. press — to push
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. march — the month
  22. court — of a king
  23. land — ground
  24. march — the month

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