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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. court — of law
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. march — music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. court — of a king
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. current — electric
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — of water
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — happening now
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. march — the month
  23. press — newspapers
  24. march — the month

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