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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — to breed
  7. march — the month
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — to recline
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — a safe
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. march — music
  24. mate — a friend

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