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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — to get on
  4. cell — a phone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. swing — music
  9. court — of a king
  10. prune — to trim
  11. court — for sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a committee
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rest — a break

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