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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mate — a friend
  5. court — of a king
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — in football
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. mine — belonging to me

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