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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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rule — government
  3. court — of a king
  4. rule — a law
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — a break
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. game — a match
  21. kick — in football
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — a thrill

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