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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 124 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — child
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. scale — in music
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — to recline
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rule — a law
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rule — government
  24. perch — the fish

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