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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — a country
  7. court — of law
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rock — music
  10. scale — in music
  11. land — ground
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — to come down
  16. scale — size or range
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. court — of a king
  22. rock — a stone
  23. court — for sport
  24. ruler — a monarch

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