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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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468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. march — music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. march — the month
  16. game — wild animals
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — all right
  24. coach — a trainer

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