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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. court — of law
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mate — to breed
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bank — of a river
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fall — the season
  21. lie — to recline
  22. court — of a king
  23. kick — in football
  24. court — for sport

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